We have all now heard the tragic tale of Trayvon Martin, the boy killed while walking home from a convenience store in Florida. But why did we hear about it? Because of the power of the internet. It happened a month ago, on February 26 — we did not hear about it then. Floridians heard about it, but it did not receive national attention until much later.

Black reporters and correspondents received Facebook and twitter requests to investigate the matter, as reported in this New York Times article.

We can cull some important lessons from the coverage of Trayvon’s tragic death:

First, the public can impact what gets reported in the news. The citizenry of this country got so outraged that the President addressed the subject and the Justice Department is conducting its own investigation. We, the public, did that.

Second, small groups and minorities can impact the broader discussion in ways not previously available. USA Today reports that minorities are accessing social media in larger numbers than the general population. Trayvon’s death once would have been reported heavily in “alternative” newspapers as a story of interest to the minority community. Because of the efforts of this community, we can see ALL of the news through the major outlets.

Third, each voice can matter. People across the world bought hoodies, and took a picture of themselves wearing it. Those pictured appeared across Facebook, making a statement about the burden of suspicion that African-American men carry as they make their way through American life. This not only brought Trayvon’s death into the spotlight, but a bigger discussion about race and stereotype in 2012.

Running a nonprofit like CancerDancer can feel like riding an emotional rollercoaster: strangers hug you telling you how much you’ve helped and you feel yourself climbing into the sky; board members mention how little is in the bank and you feel your stomach drop, images of women facing the unknown flashing through your mind.

This morning I came to fully understand why CancerDancer is so important, why we work so hard and why we need your support. Let me tell you how this epiphany happened.